Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed an executive order Tuesday directing state and local law enforcement agencies to partner with Customs and Border Protection to prevent border crimes such as drug and human trafficking, making Hobbs one of the first (if not the first) Democratic governors to partner with the Trump administration on immigration.
Immigration was top of mind for Arizona voters during the most recent presidential election, with about one-fifth of voters saying it was their top issue, according to the NBC News exit poll. Those voters broke near-unanimously for President Donald Trump.
Many Democratic governors, including Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois and Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, have bucked the Trump administration’s early efforts to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in American history — a top campaign promise of Trump’s.
But Hobbs is in a unique situation: While other border states lean either solidly Republican or Democratic, Arizona is the only border state considered to be a presidential battleground.
The executive order — Operation Desert Guardian — directs the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military affairs, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to expand border security operations by partnering with local law enforcement, sheriffs and CBP in Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise, the four Arizona counties along the Mexican border.
This executive order comes as the Arizona state legislature is considering another immigration measure, the Arizona ICE Act, that would require 10% of all local and state law enforcement to be deputized by ICE. The bill made it out of a state Senate committee last week. However, if passed, the governor is not expected to sign it into law.
Hobbs, who was elected by a narrow margin in 2022 over Republican Kari Lake, is likely to face another close election in 2026.
Posted by John3262005
5 Comments
Lol
I don’t remotely support this as someone originally from Arizona but Arizona is the state where Harris did the worst by far and it’s the only swing state where turnout percentage went down. No swing state shifted as much to Trump in large part cause of the perception that Dems are too soft on the border.
That’s why Gallego voted for Riley act and why this is occurring.
[Great, because the Trump admin has been so cooperative with AZ migrant efforts](https://tucson.com/news/local/government-politics/pima-county-migrant-aid-shelters-closing-casas-alitas-trump-administration-funding/article_92b84e2e-d9c7-11ef-b0cf-a3b3b07f5a14.html)
Disappointing but at least this is an actual border state. Less ridiculous and stupid than Fettermen or MGP panicking over immigrants from the other side of the country.
Americans don’t want people here illegally, no screaming of OPEN BORDERS will change their minds.